Rotary internal combustion engine

ABSTRACT

A cylindrical stator is provided with a partition ring intermediate end walls therein. A rotor is rotatable within the ring to form an intake-compression chamber and a combustionexhaust chamber on opposite sides of the ring. Sealing gates having interconnecting cavities are slidably supported by the stator for movement into and out of associated ones of the chambers to close the respective cavities. Camming walls on the rotor successively cam gates in the intake-compression chamber out of such chamber when the associated gates in the combustionexhaust chamber are in the latter chamber and vice versa.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,924,579

Johnson Dec. 9, 1975 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Primary ExaminerCarlton R. Croyle [76] Inventor: Paul B. Johnson, 12077 Custer St., :ij 4 t 7 5 3 d Yucaipa, Calif- 92399 orney, gen 0r zrmre c en [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 453,682 A cylindrical stator is provided with a partition ring intermediate end walls therein. A rotor is rotatable within the ring to form an intake-compression chamkg 123/823; 418/ ber and a combustion-exhaust chamber on opposite [58] Fieid 418/251 sides of the ring. Sealing gates having interconnecting cavities are slidably supported by the stator for movement into and out of associated ones of the chambers to close the respective cavities. Camming walls on the [56] References Cited rotor successively cam gates in the intake-compression UNITED STATES PATENTS chamber out of such chamber when the associated 959,812 5/1910 Sproehnle 123/823 X gates in the combustion-exhaust chamber are in the 3 2/1912 latter chamber and vice versa. 2,185,428 1/1940 Brunet 418/248 X 3,361,119 1/1968 Foxley-Conolly 123/823 2 Claims, 8 Drawmg Figures 39 2 6 18 I9 28 36 yA fl/ i n 1l\ 1 A Y 1 43 U.S. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 2 01 2 3,924,579

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior rotary internal combustion engines have generally been relatively complicated with a large number of parts and they also embody parts which are difficult to machine. Also, such prior rotary engines generally incorporate radially moveable vanes or closure members carried by the rotor and maintained in sealing engagement with the inner surface of a stator. In such cases, centrifugal forces developed during high speed operation causes undue outward frictional engagement between the vanes and the stator, resulting in a high degree of wear, drag, and generation of heat as well as vibration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a rotary engine embodying just three true annular parts which are easily machined in manufacturmg.

Another object is to provide like parts which are interchangable in different positions thereby cutting costs of manufacturing.

Another object is to provide like replacable straps or camming members which act to induce, compress and exhaust a combustible fuel, said fuel also acting against one of said straps or members to cause, without a reciprocating movement, a rotation of the engine shaft.

Another object is to provide separate annular chambers, one of said chambers being successively divided into either an intake or a compression chamber and another of the chambers being successively divided into either a combustion or an exhaust chamber.

Another object is to provide a plurality of gates for each annular chamber to accomplish the above described division of the annular chambers.

Another object is to provide fixed cages wherein the above mentioned gates are radially slidable with no centrifugal force acting upon the gates.

Another object is to provide a modified form of rotary engine capable of having a moving transmission contained therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one of the engine chambers taken on line 1-1 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the other engine chamber taken on line 2,--2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 combined.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 combined.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one of the strap members mountable upon the annular rotor as viewed in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of a modified form of the invention wherein a geared transmission is shown to drive the engine shaft in lieu of the spokes shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The engine embodies an annular housing stator 10 having identical side walls 11 and 12 attached thereto by bolts 13, the walls having respectively integrally formed thereon bearing bosses l4 and 15. A shaft 16 is 10 journaled in the bosses coaxially of the stator 10.

A single annular rotor 17 is integrally connectedby spokes '18 to a hub 19 keyed upon the shaft 16 intermediate the bosses 14 and 15.

An annular partition ring 20 attached to the concavity of the stator 10 as by bolts 21, FIG. 6, divides a single chamber contained between the walls 11 and 12, the stator 10 and the rotor 17 into two separated annular chambers 22 and 23.

Arcuate strap-like camming members 24 and 25 are each respectively positioned in one of the two chambers 22 and 23. The straps 24 and 25 are preferably formed of a resilient material designed to lightly hug the concavity of the stator 10 and each has a leading camming wall 50 and a trailing wall 51 thereon. The ends of the straps 24 and 25 are formed to snap into notches 26 provided on the periphery of the rotor 17 and each strap is designed to occupy approximately one half of its annular chamber at specified times as hereinafter described.

A pair of spring-urged gates 27 and 28 are slidably located in a pair of cages 29 and 30, respectively, secured upon the periphery of the stator 10 at opposite sides thereof by the bolts 21.

The gates 27 and 28 are urged inwardly of the stator 10 through stator slots 31 into the chamber 22 by compression springs 53 to slidingly engage the rotor. Likewise, a pair of gates 32 and 33 are respectively slidable in the cages 29 and 30 and are urged inwardly into the chamber 23 through stator slots 34.

It is conceivable that the gates could be designed to be urged by means other than springs, such as by hydraulic pressure. I

The cages 29 and 30 are designed to be seated and sealed upon the periphery of the walls 11 and 12 at 35.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, it will be seen that a spark plug -36 is threaded centrally into each of the cages 29 and 30, the plugs communicating through gas passage-ways 37 and 38 with pockets or cavities 39, 40, 41 and 42, respectively, provided within the gates 27, 28, 32 and 33.

Because the spark plugs 36 are all centrally located, the timing for the ignition of the combustible gases can be retarded or advanced depending on the engine speed.

All of the gates are provided at one side with an opening 43 which leads into or out from the pockets depending upon which way the gate is oriented within its cage, the gates being all identically shaped.

All of the gates have an opening 44 always communicating from a pocket in one gate to the other gate in its cage by means of the passage-way 37. p

The operation is as follows. (As seen in FIG.- 1 and FIG. 2.) Gas formerly taken into the intake-compression chamber 22 through an intake opening 45 has been compressed into the pocket 40 in the same manner that gas is about to be compressed into the pocket 39 by the right hand angled end or camming wall 50 of the strap 24, after it has closed over a gas intake port 46.-.Iust prior to closing the intake port 46, the right hand end of the strap 24 has closed the gate 28 and the gas compressed in the pocket 40 is ignited by the spark plug 36. Simultaneously with the closing of the gate 28, the gate 33 will be spring urged open as the righthand end of the strap 25 passes the gate 33. The expanding gas will now exit through the opening 43 of gate 33, thereby thrusting against the right hand end of the strap 25 to propel the rotor 17 clockwise.

Further clockwise movement of the rotor will eventually cause the gate 27 to be closed by the right hand end 50 of the strap 24 in the same manner described for the gate 28, and the gate 32 will now simultaneously be permitted to open by the passing of the right hand end 51 of the strap 25, and gas ignited by the left hand spark plug 36 will expand through the opening 43 of the gate 32 to thereby propel the rotor 17 for another one half revolution.

The left hand angled end 50 of the strap 25 always drives burned out gas through one of the two exhaust ports 47 while the left hand angled end of the strap 24 draws in combustible fuel through one of the intake ports 45 and 46.

Observe that two intake and compression strokes will be obtained with each revolution of the rotor 17 while simultaneously obtaining two power and exhaust strokes.

DESCRIPTION OF MODIFIED FORM In the modified form shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a ring gear 48 is keyed to the rotor 17 and a meshing pinion 49 keyed to an output shaft 16a imparts torque to the shaft 16a as the rotor is propelled. Note that the pinion 49 could be located at various convenient points. In this modified form in FIG. 7, the rotor 17 is journaled in the inside circular surface of the ring a.

I claim:

1. An engine comprising a cylindrical-stator having end walls,

a first partition ring within said stator intermediate said walls,

a cylindrical rotor rotatable within said stator,

said rotor being concentric with stator,

said stator, ring and rotor forming an intake-compression chamber and a combustion-exhaust chamber,

21 first camming member on said rotor in sealing engagement with said intake-compression chamber, a second camming member on said rotor in sealing engagement with said combustion-exhaust chamber,

a first sealing gate supported by said stator for movement radially relative to said rotor into and out of said intake-compression chamber,

said gate having a first cavity therein openable into said intake-compression chamber,

a second sealing gate supported by said stator for movement radially relative to said rotor into and out of said combustion-exhaust chamber,

said second gate having a second cavity therein openable into said combustion-exhaust chamber,

said first and second cavities being in communication with each other,

said first camming member being effective to cam said first gate out of said intake-compression chamber and to close said first cavity from said intakecompression chamber,

said second camming member being effective to cam said second gate out of said combustion-exhaust chamber and to close said second cavity when said first cavity is open to said intake-combustion chamber,

means to convey combustible fuel to said intakecompression chamber,

a device for causing ignition in said cavities,

means to convey products of combustion from said combustion-exhaust chamber,

said camming members being yieldable radially outwardly from said rotor.

2. An engine as defined in claim 1 comprising yieldable means for urging said gates into sliding engagement with said rotor,

said camming members being removably mounted on said rotor. 

1. An engine comprising a cylindrical stator having end walls, a first partition ring within said stator intermediate said walls, a cylindrical rotor rotatable within said stator, said rotor being concentric with stator, said stator, ring and rotor forming an intake-compression chamber and a combustion-exhaust chamber, a first camming member on said rotor in sealing engagement with said intake-compression chamber, a second camming member on said rotor in sealing engagement with said combustion-exhaust chamber, a first sealing gate supported by said stator for movement radially relative to said rotor into and out of said intakecompression chamber, said gate having a first cavity therein openable into said intake-compression chamber, a second sealing gate supported by said stator for movement radially relative to said rotor into and out of said combustion-exhaust chamber, said second gate having a second cavity therein openable into said combustion-exhaust chamber, said first and second cavities being in communication with each other, said first camming member being effective to cam said first gate out of said intake-compression chamber and to close said first cavity from said intake-compression chamber, said second camming member being effective to cam said second gate out of said combustion-exhaust chamber and to close said second cavity when said first cavity is open to said intakecombustion chamber, means to convey combustible fuel to said intake-compression chamber, a device for causing ignition in said cavities, means to convey products of combustion from said combustionexhaust chamber, said camming members being yieldable radially outwardly from said rotor.
 2. An engine as defined in claim 1 comprising yieldable means for urging said gates into sliding engagement with said rotor, said camming members being removably mounted on said rotor. 